Tears in the name of Creation
by Gumnut
Summary: What had she done?


Tears in the Name of Creation  
For Knightshade  
A tag to 'Junkyard Dog'  
by Gumnut  
16 Jul 2004

He found her alone, sitting on a bench amongst the trees.

The night was cool, the sun having just set, a pale glow on the western horizon the only reminder. He had come looking for her after Kitt made a comment on her absence. The AI was revelling in his new body, becoming more chatty by the moment as his confidence slowly reasserted itself. Michael had left him nattering away to an ever patient Devon, who had finally made it out to the garage to check on the AI.

Michael had gone looking for her, silently and methodically eliminating every possible place she could be, his concern increasing by the moment. As it was he had only found her by chance, her outline against the darkening sky almost hidden by foliage.

She didn't acknowledge his presence as he approached, but he made no secret of it. She had to know he was there.

"Bonnie, you okay?"

He couldn't see her face, her back to him, but suddenly her shoulders twitched, and she let out a small, lonely, broken sound.

Oh, Bonnie.

He reached out a hand, touching her shoulder, and she flinched. She radiated a need to be alone, but Michael ignored it. He guessed it was a lie in any case.

"Bonnie."

She straightened her back, drawing in a breath. "Michael, I'm fine." She sounded as if she was going to say more, but broke off, and he chose that moment to seat himself on the bench beside her. His thigh briefly brushed against hers, and she drew herself away.

They sat in silence for quite awhile, Michael unsure exactly what to say, her. Neither looked at the other, and he was caught up in the thoughtful silence as much as she.

Misery emanated off her in waves.

"Bonnie, he's okay."

"I know." Her voice broke, and he stared up at her, the newly rising moon reflecting off the moisture on her face. She stared up and away at nothing, and at everywhere but him. Her lips trembled as she attempted to control the emotion that wracked her. "I'm sorry."

He frowned, slightly puzzled. "For what?"

She didn't answer for a moment, but then something rippled across her expression and she threw up her hands. "For this. This is so stupid." Her trembling facade cracked, and her face crumpled.

He said nothing, quietly reaching out an arm and drawing her in close so that her head was resting against his chest. She shook in his embrace.

"Shh, he's okay. He survived, he's tough. You saved him."

She didn't answer him, and for the next few moments he just held her.

His own thoughts were far from settled. It had been so close this time. A single senseless act and they had almost lost the very heart of their strange little family. Michael shied away from his own thoughts, not prepared to think them. The possibilities were too raw, too close, and far too real at the moment.

They hurt.

Bonnie clung to him, and part of him was thankful that he was able to be here for her.

While another part of him wept with her.

These last days had been a tightrope of doubt, worry, and fear. There had been moments where Michael had thought he had lost Kitt forever. Other times where he thought he finally had his friend back only to have doubt at Kitt's ability to continue to be what he was born to be thrown in his face.

Some people had no patience, no understanding. No compassion for what was essentially a human being in the shape of a car. He almost smiled at that thought, envisioning Kitt's reaction to the statement.

Bonnie eventually quieted in his arms, her soft breathing levelling out, and for a moment he thought she had fallen asleep. Sleep being something she had not been very familiar with since Kitt had been thrown into the acid pit.

She hadn't.

"Michael?" She sat up, pulling away slightly. "Umm, thankyou."

He looked at her, putting every bit of sincerity he could into his tone. "Anytime."

She tried to smile at him, but failed, her lips caught by her thoughts.

"Hey, Bon, he is fine. He's up there blabbing away to Devon a mile a minute."

"I know. It's just..." She trailed off, before sitting up straight, pulling away, uncertainty in every line of her body, her hands worrying each other gently. She looked up at him. "Do you ever think we made a mistake?"

He frowned. "A mistake?"

She sighed, and attempted explain herself. "We created life. Intelligent, aware life. Did we have the right to do that?"

Still unsure exactly what she was getting at, Michael answered as honestly as he could. "I think if you asked Kitt that question the answer would be predictable."

"Would it?" She looked down. "I'm not so sure. We created without thought. Kitt cannot survive on his own. Without us, without maintenance...Michael, Kitt is so close to death on a daily basis he doesn't even need to put in danger to be at risk."

Michael flinched. He knew this, had skipped across the thought himself. Kitt was so reliant on those around him, one of them being Michael himself. It had never been so painfully obvious to him as those times when Kitt was injured and he was unable to help, his own knowledge of the AI's systems inadequate in the extreme.

There had been times where he had had to simply stand by and pray his partner could be saved by those who did have the knowledge.

But then again it was the same for Kitt each time Michael was injured. Life was life, no matter the physical form.

Bonnie looked so alone, so uncertain, and he suddenly became intimately aware of the woman behind the technician who berated him each time Kitt was hurt. His heart lurched. Kitt hadn't been the only casualty of that god forsaken acid pit.

He reached out a hand, touching her cheek, tilting her chin up to face him. "You created him, Bonnie. And what you created was a beautiful thing. You created life, and, no matter how fragile that life might be, I can assure you that he is grateful for his existence." He paused a moment, catching her eyes. "Life can be a very frightening experience, we each start the voyage unasked as to whether we would like to participate, travelling alone, but blessed with what we have. Kitt is no different. All we can do is be there for him."

She looked up at him, a frail hope of redemption in the depths of her eyes, and he felt himself caught by that gaze. Her expression said so much.

And he so wanted...

"Thankyou." Her voice was little but a whisper. Her hand caught his, and for a moment she simply cradled his fingers in her own. "Thankyou, Michael."

His voice caught in his throat. "I-"

They were interrupted by the gentle rumble of an engine, and a single band of darting red light appeared over the rise in the nearby driveway.

Bonnie abruptly let his hand loose and hurriedly wiped at her eyes. "Speak of the devil." She fumbled an awkward smile, and stood up.

Michael took a moment to compose himself, thoughts flicking back and forth in his head like a flock of scattering seagulls.

"Bonnie?" Kitt's voice was buoyant and wonderfully familiar.

Bonnie put her hands on her hips, a facade of maternal instinct flashing up on her face. "Kitt, what have I told you about driving about in the dark without your headlights on?"

"I'm sorry, Bonnie, I didn't want to disturb you." As brief pause and then two bright beams shot out of the darkness, bracketing the dancing red scanner.

Dancing with humour, Michael suspected. "Oh, god, Kitt, turn it down will ya." He blinked spots from his eyes as the lights dimmed to a glow.

"I'm sorry, Michael." Somehow, Michael doubted his sincerity.

"He has been around you far too long, Michael Knight."

"Me? What did I do?"

She gazed down at him, a faint smile on her face. "Enough."

He stared up at her, an undefined emotion stirring in his mind.

The red light bounced back and forth between them, and the moment broke again.

Bonnie suddenly looked uncomfortable, fiddling with her clothes. She glanced back at Kitt. "Okay, I'm off to bed. You two behave yourselves." She smiled almost shyly back at Michael.

He gave her a half-hearted wave. "Okay."

She disappeared into the dark.

"Michael, are you alright?"

"Huh?"

"Michael?"

"Oh, uh, sorry, Kitt, um, yeah, I'm fine." He stared out after her as the Trans Am approached him from behind.

"Is Bonnie going to be okay?"

He darted a look at the dark shadow that was his partner, suddenly realising that as usual he had underestimated the AI. "Yeah, Pal, I think she is." The upcoming breeze tousled his hair as he reached out to run a hand over the soft silky surface of Kitt's hood. "I think she is."

This time.

-o-o-o-


End file.
